Corn-husker.



H. A. SOHERMERHORN. GORN HUSKER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1910.

Patented July 12, 1910.

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H. A. SGHBRMERHORN.

CORN HUSKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1910.

Patented July 12, 1910.

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HERSCHEL A. SCHERMERHORN, 0F SHABBONA GROVE, ILLINOIS.

GORN-HUSKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 12, 1910.

App1ication filed. March 17, 1910. Serial No. 549,997.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HERSOHEL A. Sorrnn- MERHORN, a citizen of the United States, residing atShabbona Grove, county of Dekalb, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Huskers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device to be used for husking ears of corn and preferably while they are on the stalk, in the field, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

As is well known to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, various devices such as husking pins or pegs and other forms of huskers heretofore employed, have been of such construction that they are de signed to be used by a right-handed person with the right hand, or by a left-handed person with the left hand in disengaging or stripping the husks or shucks from the ears, and this required several movements of the hands, and besides was inconvenient to the user for the reason the appliance was attached to or held in that hand with which he threw the ears of corn into the wagon or to a heap after the corn was husked. It is further well known that by the use of the husking pegs and husking devices hereto fore in common use, it was difiicult to remove all of the husks from the ears and that the same was frequently thrown into the wagon or heaps with a quantity of husks attached thereto and besides on account of the inefliciency of the huskin devices formerly used, much labor and effort on the part of the husker were required.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a corn husker which may be used on either hand of the operator or user, but which is especially intended to be used on the left-hand, when the user is right-handed, or vice versa thus leaving his most dexterous hand free and unencumbered to manipulate the ears, and to throw them after being husked into the wagon or heaps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a corn husker which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and effective in operation and so made that it can be worn on the hand of the operator either in connection with a mitten or without the same, and in such a manner as to not injure or unnecessarily fatigue the hand of the user.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the husker that the same device can be used on either hand of the operator, it being only necessary to change the location of the grasping members, convenient provision for which is afiorded in the construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the subjoined description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate the invention; Figure 1, is a perspective view of a corn husker embodying one form of the invention showing it attached to a mitten and the latter in position on the left hand of the user, the parts of the husker being shown in about their relative positions when disposed to receive and grasp the husks on an ear of corn; Fig. 9, is a View in side elevation of an ear of corn and one of the huskers on the hand of the user, illustrating by continuous lines the manner of grasping the husks in the act of tearing or stripping them from the ear, and by dotted lines the initial positions of the grasping members on the ear when the latter is grasped by the husker on the opposite side from that shown by continuous lines in Fig. 2; Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the hands of the operator and the ear of corn showing the husker in position on one of the hands, said hand and husker being located in about the position they will occupy when the ear of corn is being broken or detached from the husk-stem; Fig. 4, is an enlarged end view of the husker showing by continuous lines the grasping members thereof in their extended positions and by dotted lines some of the positions which they may assume when manipulated by the hand of the operator; Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the husker shown without the mitten and illustrating the grasping members extended; Fig. 6, 1s a similar View of a modified form of the husker; and Fig. 7, is a detached perspective view of a member of the duplex hinge of one of the grasping members.

Like numerals of reference, refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 10, designates as a ,whole the body of the husker which consists of a rod formed at one of its ends with an offset loop 11, from which is extended in parallelism with one another two prongs or members 12, and 13, which are adapted to lie across the palm of the hand while the loop 11, will overlie or overhang the upper portion of the palm at about the juncture of the first finger therewith. The free end of the prongs 12, and 13, are connected preferably by means of a screw 14, which is passed transversally through one of said members and engages the other member near its end. Engaging the loop 11, of the body 10, and extended therefrom to the free ends of the prongs 12, and 13, and secured to the screw 14, or connecting device uniting said members is a strap. 15, which may be provided with a buckle 16, to adjust and secure the same on the back of the hand of the user.

Rotatably and slidably mounted on one of the members or prongs of the body of the husker and on that member thereof indicated by the reference numeral 12, when the device is intended to be used 011 the left hand of the operator, is a sleeve 17, which is provided on its outer surface with an apertured extension 18, adapted to fit between two apertured extensions 19, and 20, on the inner end of the front grasping member 21, which is made of metal and has at its front end a pointed hook 22, which is preferably toe-nailed. The inner end of the grasping member 21, is pivotally connected to the sleeve 17, by means of a pintle 23, located in the openings of the extensions 18, 19, and 20, and it will be understood that by this arrangement as the sleeve 17 is rotatable as well as slidable on the member 12, of the body of the husker, a duplex-hinge will be afforded to said grasping member besides it will have a sliding movement on the prong 12, of the body. Attached to the rear surface of the grasping member 21, by means of brads 24, passed through said member or otherwise, is a strap 25, which may be provided with a buckle 26, used to adjust and secure said grasping member to one or more of the fingers of the hand of the user.

Rotatably and slidably mounted on the prong or member 13, when the device is intended to be used on the left hand, is a grasping member 27, which also has at its free end an inturned pointed hook 28, to pierce and engage the husks. Secured on the rear surface of the grasping member 27 by means of brads 24, or otherwise, is a strap 29, which may be provided with a buckle 30, to adjust and secure the grasping member 27 to the thumb of the operator.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings, the device is shown in connection with a mitten 31, and when so used, it is apparent that the strap 25, may be passed through suitable openings in the mitten and so located as to allow one or more of the fingers, when the hand is placed in the mitten, to be -passed through the loop formed by said strap. It is also apparent that the strap 15, may be passed over the back of the hand when the mitten is thereon and that the thumb, within the thumb of the mitten may be passed through the loop afforded by the strap 29, thus securing the husker in position on the hand, the mitten serving to protect the hand from injury by contact with the corn and husks.

From the above description of my improvements, it will be understood that the improved corn husker constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature, and that it can be used with or without the mitten and that it is adapted for use on either hand of the operator by simply transferring the grasping member 21, from the prong or member 12, to the prong or member 13, and transferring the grasping member 27, from the member 13, to the prong 12, which may be readily done by removing the screw or connection 14, from the free ends of said prongs, and that it is especially well adapted for use by reason ofthe fact that the husks may be engaged by the hooks 22, and 28, of the grasping members and torn or removed from the ear of corn to about the position shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings, from which position the hand carrying the husker may be moved by another movement to the stem or stub end 32, of the husks as shown in Fig. 3, where they may be grasped and the ear of corn broken therefrom and thrown into the wagon with the other hand of the operator. It will also be obvious from the above description that the device is susceptible of considerable modification without material departure from the principle and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts of the device as herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice, for example, in some cases, the construction shown in Fig. 6, of the drawings may be employed. In this form of the device, the body consists of a single rod or bar 10 having one of its ends deflected as at 11 to overlie the upper portion of the hand in lieu of the loop 11, of the other construction. In this modified form, each end of the body 10*, is provided with a link 33, to which a strap (not shown) but similar to the strap 15, may be connected to be placed over the back of the hand. The grasping members 21, and 27 of the. modified form are substantially of the same construction as those shown and above described, and each of the same may have secured thereto a strap through which the fingers and thumb may be extended when using the device, the operation of which is quite similar to that above described and is obvious.

Having thus fully described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. A corn husker consisting of a body having means to secure it on the hand, a pair of grasping members rotatably and slidably mounted at one of their ends on the body, and means to connect one of said members to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

2. A corn husker consisting of a body having means to secure it on the hand, a pair of hooked grasping members rotatably and slidably mounted at one of their ends on the body, and straps on the said members to secure one of them to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

3. A corn husker consisting of a body having means to secure it on the hand, a pair of grasping members rotatably and slidably mounted at one of their ends on the body, one of said members having a hinged joint near its connection to the body, and means to connect one of said members to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

4:. A corn husker consisting of a body composed of a pair of prongs to extend across the palm of the hand and having connections uniting them at their ends, means connected at its ends to the ends of the body to secure it on the hand, a pair of grasping members loosely connected at one of their ends to said prongs and disposed laterally therefrom in opposite directions, and means to connect one of said members to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

5. A corn husker consisting of a body provided With a pair of prongs to extend across the palm of the hand and united at one of their ends by an overhanging part adapted to lie over the upper portion of the hand, means connected at its ends to the ends of the body to secure it on the hand, a pair of grasping members rotatably and slidably mounted at one of their ends on said prongs and disposed laterally therefrom in opposite directions, and means to connect one of said members to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

6. A corn husker consisting of a body provided with a pair of prongs to extend across the palm of the hand and united at one of their ends by an overhanging part adapted to lie over the upper portion of the hand, means connected at its ends to the ends of the body to secure it on the hand, a thumb-controlled grasping member loosely mounted at one of its ends on one of said prongs, a sleeve loosely mounted on the other prong, a finger-controlled grasping member hinged to said sleeve, and means to connect said grasping members one to the thumb and the other to the fingers.

HERSGHEL A. SUHERMERHORN,

Witnesses L. EDNA SOHERMERHORN, NELLIE CRAPsER. 

